Yard Sale-ing For Dummies: A Financial Masochist's Guide

I have a serious problem. It’s called “I can’t resist yard sales.” Look, is it my fault that I get a high from the acquisition of new possessions? Ok, maybe it is my fault. But really, what’s better than grabbing a cup of coffee, throwing on an old sweatshirt, and wandering through neighborhoods, rummaging through someone else’s belongings? It’s unbeatable, my friends. Second only to receiving gifts.

In fact, my entire apartment should be called ‘yard sale/Craigslist/thrift store/dumpster dive*.’ Personally, I don’t really believe students should purchase brand new housewares when money is tight. I mean, really, you can find something just as awesome as that Urban Outfitters chaise at a yard sale, or on Craigslist. Or even by dumpster diving*. And while some people might turn up their nose, yard sales are an especially great place to find kitchen necessities which might be a little too pricey for the average frugal student. You see, an adult living on a budget of more than $20 per week can afford things like food processors, blenders, stand mixers, rolling pins, juicers, and other items which make the creation of culinary delights a snap and a half. But for the rest of us who are broke, it’s time to stop turning up your nose and get down with secondhand.

Secondhand belongings can take many forms. Sometimes it’s as simple as waiting for one of your family members to get tired of their belongings and hand them down (this is how I got my blender, coffee maker, and toaster.) But sometimes you just need to wake up early, and be prepared to peruse several yard sales without finding anything. But for every five yard sales you attend, you’ll probably find something so spectacular that you can get over your exhaustion. Plus you’ll probably pick up about 7429409209 items you don’t actually need.

For instance, last summer I came upon this Cuisnart mini-prep food processor at a yard sale in NW Greensboro. I’d been looking for a food processor for quite some time, and (even though I’m now looking for a much larger one) it’s perfect for small scale cooking experiments.

This food processor retails for between $25-50 on amazon.com. How much did I pay for it? $2. That’s right: Two Freaking Dollars. Yeah, it’s pre-owned. But, hello: if you can buy a car pre-owned, you can buy a food processor. Plus, it’s in near perfect condition.

So anyway, on Saturday I managed to wake up at the crack of dawn and stumble over to a yard sale at Taryn and Zack’s apartment. Taryn and Zack are doing it big post-graduation: they’re dipping out of the GSO and heading for the coast. The west coast, that is. I’m sure they’d love to take all their worldly possessions with them, but 3,000 miles is a long way to carry excess belongings. Hence the yard sale. Now, I’m pretty poor these days, but I felt it was necessary to shell out for some new mixing bowls. Zack and Taryn were hustling some very good condition NESTING** bowls.

I love amazon.com. I really do. But the exact same bowls I bought from Zack and Taryn are on amazon.com for the (fairly low price) of $28.50. How much did I pay for the exact same set of KITCHENAID bowls(yeah, that’s right, no off brand for me)? $3. THREE!




Point being? Don’t be a slave to retail prices. Yes, sometimes it’s absolutely necessary to buy brand new items. But when you’re working with a shoestring, painfully tight budget, don’t be afraid to love it two times.


* I only dumpster dive under very specific circumstances. Usually, it’s not an actual dumpster, but I have been known to help a friend pull a perfectly good futon out of pile of discarded furniture. Actually, it’s more like picking things up off the side of the street, and it’s how I found my awesome coffee table. So suck it.

**Anything which nests (bowls, tables, cups, pans) is a favorite in the Frugal Student household. Saves space and money? Give me some.